This morning we had local insider and CEO of RAW Miami, Jose Duasso, on the show to break down everything he's been seeing and hearing. From standouts on Miami's current roster, to names in upcoming recruiting classes Canes fans should keep an eye on, Duasso brought the expert scoop on what players will shine.
His biggest talking point wasn't any one player — it was how much the entire ecosystem around these kids has changed.
Grassroots football is king now, and he credits Adidas for a lot of it. The brand has been in the space for ten-plus years, but the last three or four especially, they've leaned hard into the OT7 partnership, a platform with a multi-million-follower reach. Now, these kids are getting a spotlight before they ever set foot on a college campus.
"The social media world has embraced these guys," Duasso said. "They're superstars before they get [to college]."
Miami's fan base has only amplified that, especially now that Nick Lennear and A'Mir Sears — two players Duasso's been talking about on this show since they were in middle school — are committed to the Canes.
Duasso also flagged two names who don't get enough shine: Jaylyn Jones and Sherrod Gourdine, both committed to Miami this cycle. Defensive backs don't get the same marketing love receivers do, he pointed out — A'Mir's the exception because he plays both ways — but the safeties and nickels are the ones doing the dirty work.
As for how Lennear and Sears specifically fit at the next level, Duasso's blueprint is simple: put Lennear on Malachi Toney's hip and let him mimic everything Malachi does. He compared Lennear to another Antonio Brown type — a guy who creates separation and still wins fifty-fifty balls even when the separation isn't there.
"Just adopt that dog mentality, stay on Mali's hip, and he's going to be a very successful player," Duasso said.
He added that Lennear and Sears share the one trait that matters most: they love the game, which he thinks will insulate them from a lot of the noise that trips up other freshmen. Having a hometown hero like Malachi already in the building to lead by example doesn't hurt either — Duasso said the whole community treats those two like nothing else.
We got into the "some kids peak at eighteen, some are just getting started" idea a viewer raised in the chat, and Duasso didn't hesitate on who fits the second bucket: Dennis Tua'one.
His family is originally from Broward and are die-hard Canes fans, though he plays his high school ball out in Utah.
Compared to the actual elite of his class — not just the average recruit — Duasso called him as elite as they come, and said he wouldn't be shocked if Tua'one sneaks into five-star territory before it's over. He's already built to play college football at 6-foot-1 and roughly 190-pounds, a "Puka Nacua-type."
Duasso pointed to a couple of names flying under the radar also on his RAW roster.
Peter Pierre, a tight end, doesn't get enough love — 6-foot-5, over 200-pounds, and able to catch or run anything thrown his way. He also mentioned 2028 WR Tromon Isaac Jr. and 2029 DB Derrick Jones Jr., all products of Chaminade-Madonna, a program RAW pulls from often.
He also mentioned Seth Griffin, a freak 2030 athlete out in Houston with roots back in Miami's Miami Gardens pipeline, and DeMarcus Van Dyke Jr., a legacy recruit whose combination of size and fluidity Duasso said shouldn't exist in the same player.
Asked about Braylon Clark, a wideout in North Carolina, Duasso lit up.
6-foot-4, a former basketball player whose mom played Division I hoops, with straight-line speed that Duasso said he's never seen from a receiver that size. He described a touchdown where Clark tracked down an overthrown seam ball with a closing burst that made Duasso curse out loud on the sideline.
Duasso expects him to blow up even further on the recruiting trail and put him in the same tier as some of RAW's most productive receiver alumni.
On the current Miami class, Duasso didn't hold back on Donte Wright.
"That guy is as good as they come, and the number one corner for a reason," he said.
Eli Woodard got a mention too as a strong complementary piece next to Lennear.
We'll have Duasso back on before RAW's season kicks off in January. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.
His biggest talking point wasn't any one player — it was how much the entire ecosystem around these kids has changed.
Grassroots football is king now, and he credits Adidas for a lot of it. The brand has been in the space for ten-plus years, but the last three or four especially, they've leaned hard into the OT7 partnership, a platform with a multi-million-follower reach. Now, these kids are getting a spotlight before they ever set foot on a college campus.
"The social media world has embraced these guys," Duasso said. "They're superstars before they get [to college]."
Miami's fan base has only amplified that, especially now that Nick Lennear and A'Mir Sears — two players Duasso's been talking about on this show since they were in middle school — are committed to the Canes.
Duasso also flagged two names who don't get enough shine: Jaylyn Jones and Sherrod Gourdine, both committed to Miami this cycle. Defensive backs don't get the same marketing love receivers do, he pointed out — A'Mir's the exception because he plays both ways — but the safeties and nickels are the ones doing the dirty work.
As for how Lennear and Sears specifically fit at the next level, Duasso's blueprint is simple: put Lennear on Malachi Toney's hip and let him mimic everything Malachi does. He compared Lennear to another Antonio Brown type — a guy who creates separation and still wins fifty-fifty balls even when the separation isn't there.
"Just adopt that dog mentality, stay on Mali's hip, and he's going to be a very successful player," Duasso said.
He added that Lennear and Sears share the one trait that matters most: they love the game, which he thinks will insulate them from a lot of the noise that trips up other freshmen. Having a hometown hero like Malachi already in the building to lead by example doesn't hurt either — Duasso said the whole community treats those two like nothing else.
We got into the "some kids peak at eighteen, some are just getting started" idea a viewer raised in the chat, and Duasso didn't hesitate on who fits the second bucket: Dennis Tua'one.
His family is originally from Broward and are die-hard Canes fans, though he plays his high school ball out in Utah.
Compared to the actual elite of his class — not just the average recruit — Duasso called him as elite as they come, and said he wouldn't be shocked if Tua'one sneaks into five-star territory before it's over. He's already built to play college football at 6-foot-1 and roughly 190-pounds, a "Puka Nacua-type."
Duasso pointed to a couple of names flying under the radar also on his RAW roster.
Peter Pierre, a tight end, doesn't get enough love — 6-foot-5, over 200-pounds, and able to catch or run anything thrown his way. He also mentioned 2028 WR Tromon Isaac Jr. and 2029 DB Derrick Jones Jr., all products of Chaminade-Madonna, a program RAW pulls from often.
He also mentioned Seth Griffin, a freak 2030 athlete out in Houston with roots back in Miami's Miami Gardens pipeline, and DeMarcus Van Dyke Jr., a legacy recruit whose combination of size and fluidity Duasso said shouldn't exist in the same player.
Asked about Braylon Clark, a wideout in North Carolina, Duasso lit up.
6-foot-4, a former basketball player whose mom played Division I hoops, with straight-line speed that Duasso said he's never seen from a receiver that size. He described a touchdown where Clark tracked down an overthrown seam ball with a closing burst that made Duasso curse out loud on the sideline.
Duasso expects him to blow up even further on the recruiting trail and put him in the same tier as some of RAW's most productive receiver alumni.
On the current Miami class, Duasso didn't hold back on Donte Wright.
"That guy is as good as they come, and the number one corner for a reason," he said.
Eli Woodard got a mention too as a strong complementary piece next to Lennear.
We'll have Duasso back on before RAW's season kicks off in January. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.
